Jesus Asks: "What Are You Looking For?" | A2 English Bible
Ordinary Time · John 1:35–39 · A2 English Bible
Jesus Asks: "What Are You Looking For?"
🐑 Every person needs something different. Money? Friends? Peace? Love? Let's find out what Jesus really offers — in simple English!
👼DerDer · Warm & Kind
😈BadDer · Honest & Grumpy
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Think about your day. What did you worry about? Money? School? A friend who did not reply to your message? Being alone?
Every person in the world is looking for something. We are all different. But our needs are not so different.
2,000 years ago, Jesus asked a question that is still true today: "What are you looking for?"
Part 1 · 01
📖 The Bible Story — Let's Read Together
35 The next day, John was there again with two of his disciples.
36 He saw Jesus walking by. He said, "Look! The Lamb of God!"
37 The two disciples heard this. They followed Jesus.
38 Jesus turned around. He saw them following. He asked, "What are you looking for?"
They said, "Rabbi" — this means Teacher — "where are you staying?"
39 Jesus said, "Come and see." So they went. They saw where he was staying. They spent the whole day with him. It was about four o'clock in the afternoon.
— John 1:35–39
👼
DerDer
Did you notice? "What are you looking for?" is the very first question Jesus asks in the whole Gospel of John! John did not choose this by accident. This question is the heart of everything. Jesus is not just asking about a lost bag. He is asking: "What do you really want in your life?"
😈
BadDer
Okay, that is easy. I know what I want. I want money, good food, fast internet, and no homework. Done. Question answered. Next!
👼
DerDer
Ha! But BadDer — if you had all of that, would you feel happy all the time? No more worries? No more feeling alone? Maybe not. Because people need more than just food and money. Let's look at all the different things people look for.
Part 2 · 02
🧠 What Do People Need? The Big Picture
👼
DerDer
A famous doctor named Abraham Maslow once said: people have many different needs. Some needs are basic — like food and water. Other needs are deeper — like love, respect, and meaning in life. Look at this simple picture:
✨ Spiritual Needs
meaning · God · peace · purpose
🌱 Growth & Meaning
learning · creating · doing good things
🌟 Feeling Respected & Valued
being seen · doing well · feeling proud
❤️ Love & Belonging
family · friends · community · being understood
🏠 Safety & Basic Needs
food · water · home · health · money
Based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (1943) · adapted for faith reflection
😈
BadDer
Okay, I see it now. At the bottom is food and safety. Yes, I need those. But then there are also feelings — like love and respect? I did not think about those as "needs." I thought only weak people worry about feelings.
👼
DerDer
Everyone needs love and respect, BadDer. That is not weak. That is human! And look at the top — spiritual needs. The desire to find meaning, to feel connected to something bigger than yourself. Jesus speaks to all of these needs. Not just one.
Part 3 · 03
🃏 8 Things People Are Looking For — And What Jesus Says
👼
DerDer
Let's look at 8 different needs. Which one sounds like YOU? Read each card carefully. There is no wrong answer!
😈
BadDer
Fine. I will read them. But I bet mine is not on this list.
Basic Needs
🍚 Food & Health
Some people worry every day. "Do I have enough money? Can I pay for food? Am I healthy?"
"I am looking for enough money to live."
💬 Jesus says: "I am the bread of life." (John 6:35) He sees your daily worries. He cares about your real, physical life.
Safety Needs
🏠 Safety & Peace at Home
Some people feel afraid. Their home is not safe. Their future is not sure. They want to feel protected.
"I am looking for a safe place."
💬 Jesus says: "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Do not be afraid." (John 14:27) He is a place of shelter for your heart.
Love Needs
❤️ Love & Family
Some people feel very alone. They want someone to love them — a friend, a family, a partner. They want to belong somewhere.
"I am looking for someone who loves me."
💬 Jesus says: "I have loved you just as the Father has loved me." (John 15:9) You are already loved — deeply and completely.
Esteem Needs
🌟 Respect & Value
Some people feel invisible. Nobody notices them. They work hard, but nobody says "Good job." They want to feel that they matter.
"I am looking for someone to see me."
💬 Jesus says: "You are worth more than many sparrows." (Luke 12:7) Every part of you has value. Jesus sees you.
Growth Needs
📚 Learning & Getting Better
Some people want to grow. They want to learn new things, do their work well, and become a better person every day.
"I am looking for a way to grow."
💬 Jesus says: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:6) Walking with Jesus is a journey of becoming your best self.
Rest Needs
😮💨 Rest & Peace
Some people are very tired. They are tired in their body and in their heart. They worry too much. They cannot sleep. They need rest.
"I am looking for rest."
💬 Jesus says: "Come to me, all who are tired and carrying heavy things. I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)
Meaning Needs
🧭 Purpose & Direction
Some people ask big questions. "Why am I here? What is the point of my life? What should I do?" They want a reason to live well.
"I am looking for the meaning of my life."
💬 Jesus says: "I came so that they may have life — life in all its fullness." (John 10:10) He gives our life a direction and a reason.
Wonder Needs
✨ Beauty & Wonder
Some people want to feel something beautiful. They want moments of joy, wonder, and awe — when life feels bigger and more special than every day.
"I am looking for something that takes my breath away."
💬 Jesus says: "Come and see." (John 1:39) The invitation to experience something you cannot explain with words.
😈
BadDer
... Okay. I found mine. It is the "Respect and Value" card. I really do want someone to see me. I just never said it out loud before.
👼
DerDer
BadDer. That is a very brave thing to say. And you know what? Jesus already sees you. He saw those two disciples walking behind him. He turned around. He did not walk away. He asked them a question. He asked them. He is asking you.
📚 Important Words for This Part
needsomething that is very important for you to have; you cannot live well without it
belongto feel that you are part of a group; you are welcome there
respectto think that someone is important and valuable; to treat them well
purposethe reason you do something; why your life matters
spiritualrelated to the deep part of a person — not the body, but the soul and heart
Part 4 · 04
💡 Jesus Knows What You Need — Even Before You Do
🔍
Important Bible Fact
In the Gospel of John, Jesus meets many different people — and each person has a different need. He meets a sick man who needs healing. He meets a woman who needs respect. He meets a man who needs forgiveness. Jesus never gives the same answer twice — because every person is different.John 4 · The Woman at the WellJohn 5 · The Sick ManJohn 8 · Forgiveness
👼
DerDer
Look at the disciples' answer. When Jesus asked "What are you looking for?", they said: "Where are you staying?" They did not ask for money. They did not ask for a miracle. They asked to be with him. That is a deep desire — the desire to be close to someone you trust.
😈
BadDer
That actually makes sense. Sometimes I do not even know what I want. I just feel... not okay. I want someone to sit with me. Maybe that is the same thing they were feeling?
👼
DerDer
Yes! The Church teaches us that every human heart has a deep desire for God — even if we do not have words for it. That empty feeling, that "not okay" feeling — it is your heart looking for something real. And Jesus says, simply: "Come and see."
"Our heart is made for You, O God,
and it cannot rest until it rests in You."
— Saint Augustine, Confessions, Book 1
🕐
Why does the Bible say "four o'clock"?
The writer of this story was probably one of the two disciples. He remembered the exact time — four o'clock in the afternoon — because that moment changed his whole life. Many years later, he was still writing about it. When something truly meets your deepest need, you never forget it.
Part 5 · 05
🌱 What Can You Do Today?
👼
DerDer
The disciples did not have a perfect answer. They just walked forward and asked a simple question. You can do the same thing. Here are three small steps to try today.
01
✍️ English Writing Challenge — Be Honest!
Look back at the 8 need cards. Choose ONE that sounds most like you. Then write this sentence: "I am looking for ________."
Examples: rest, someone to see me, a reason to keep going, love, peace, direction. There is no wrong answer.
02
🤫 5 Minutes of Quiet — Just Be Still
Put down your phone. Sit quietly for 5 minutes. Let that "not okay" feeling come up. Do not push it away. Then say softly in your heart: "Jesus, I want to come and see." That one small step is enough.
03
💬 Talk to Someone
Share your answer with a friend, a family member, or a priest. Say: "I have been thinking about what I really need." You do not need to have all the answers. Just start the conversation.
👼 DerDer's Last Words —
Every person reading this post has a different story. Maybe you are tired. Maybe you feel alone. Maybe you are looking for money, or love, or just a little peace. Maybe you do not even know what you are looking for — only that something is missing.
Jesus turns around. He looks at you. He does not ask you to be perfect first. He just asks one question — your question, your real question: "What are you looking for?"
You do not need a perfect answer. Just be honest. Just take one step. Just say: "I want to come and see."
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